Cultivating Growth: Financing Opportunities for Indiana’s Farm, Food, and Agribusinesses

As the Indiana SBDC’s Agribusiness Specialty advisor, I have the privilege to work with clients from the full life cycle of agriculture and food industry operations – from the companies producing the seeds and machines that begin the traditional row crop process to the smalltown family-owned deli selling locally grown beef, pork and chicken to the end consumer, and everything in between, I support an incredible variety of Hoosier farm, food and agriculture industry businesses. Indiana has an incredibly vibrant, diversified and productive agribusiness economy, as varied as our lands are from the north to south I see while traveling the state. But as unique as each business may be, they all have one thing in common – the need for capital. From Ag Tech pre-venture start-ups to multi-generational family operations, obtaining and utilizing capital is crucial to the successful business operation of all.

Capital is the lifeblood of business and can be generated in several ways. Capital gained from sales is the goal as a primary source of funding. By using the capital created from sales, coupled with strong financial management and oversight, a company can “self-finance” a good deal of growth, and many have found this to be a very successful financial plan. But what happens when there is a legitimate business opportunity that creates the need for capital beyond what existing sales and retained earnings can cover?

At this point, most business owners look to an outside source for financing to provide the needed capital. But what does that actually look like? What options are available and which make the most sense? Financing your farm, food or agriculture business has challenges as unique as the challenges Mother Nature presents to farmers that do not affect manufacturing or IT companies. The upcoming Financing Your Farm, Food & Agribusiness workshop is designed to assist in reviewing financing options available and making informed decision that provide the most benefit at the least cost. As we look to the start of another harvest season here in the heartland, the workshop will also cover 2026 year-to-date updates to key grant and loan programs, discuss related industry and regulatory agency updates, and take a look forward to the end of the year and into 2027.

Are you preparing your agribusiness for its next stage of growth?

Join us for the upcoming Financing Your Farm, Food & Agribusiness workshop focused on the capital challenges and opportunities unique to Indiana’s farm, food, and agriculture industries. We’ll walk through financing options, 2026 program updates, and what to expect heading into 2027. Whether you’re exploring expansion or navigating new market demands, this session will help you make informed, cost-effective decisions that support long-term success.

How can your farm, food business, or ag venture access the capital it needs to grow?

This event is a community workshop designed to help Indiana growers, makers, processors, and small food businesses understand practical financing options that support our state’s vibrant agriculture and food economy.

We’ll cover:

• Funding paths for farm and food-based businesses
• 2026 updates to key grants and loan programs
• Industry changes that may impact your operation
• Year-end planning and preparing for 2027

Whether you’re a family farm, a local deli sourcing Indiana-grown product, or an emerging AgTech idea, this session will help you make informed, confident decisions that strengthen your business and our community food system.

The Indiana SBDC Agribusiness Initiative, launched in March 2022 as a partnership between the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD), Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), offers statewide agribusiness specialty advising to Hoosier small businesses and entrepreneurs in the agriculture and food industry sectors to help them start, grow, finance, innovate, and transition. Working directly through all 10 regional Indiana SBDC offices, the Agribusiness Initiative is designed to support traditional farmers, value-added producers, processors, agritourism businesses and other agriculture-adjacent industries businesses by providing confidential specialty business advising and training. Primary areas of focus include financial and risk management, financing and raising capital, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Small Business Administration loan preparation and packaging, value-added product development, commodity exporting, and financial and crop yield projections, among others. The Ag Initiative is also intended to be an entry point to farmers and agribusinesses, many of which are overlooked in traditional entrepreneurial spaces. To learn more about the Agribusiness Initiative, contact the Indiana SBDC regional office near you.